The present invention relates to product merchandising and, more particularly, a container and display system incorporating the container.
In the retail store environment, it has been recognized that there is a need for improved display systems for products that are containerized. For instance, the space which is available in a retail store must be utilized in a highly effective manner since many retail businesses display more consumer products than ever before. Since the cost of space is critical to retailers, it is also important to maximize the return that can be generated from the products that are displayed in a given space.
In addition, the manner in which products are displayed is known to have a significant impact on the ability to sell them to consumers within a retail store environment. Thus, if products are displayed in an attractive, highly visible and informative manner, it is far more likely that sales of products generated from such a display will be greater than might otherwise be expected. However, with conventional retail store displays for containerized products, there is little that can be accurately characterized as attractive, highly visible and informative merchandising.
While the foregoing holds true for sales of particular products, there is also the issue of enhancing the overall effectiveness of selling products at the point of purchase. Competition at the retail level is greater than ever before and, thus, retailers must present a shopping environment in which consumers are readily attracted to purchase certain products that are in the nature of impulse consumables. If a retail store has outmoded displays for containerized products, it is more likely that sales will not reach the levels that a retail store hopes to accomplish at the point of purchase.
With regard to certain small, inexpensive consumer products that are consumable in nature, e.g., lip moisturizer and the like, the interest of consumers is easily generated. This is particularly true at certain times of the year in various geographic regions where lip moisturizer and the like is consumed in relatively large quantities due to the climatic conditions which exist there. However, since there are many products of this type from which to choose, the manner of merchandising such products can be a critical element in achieving successful sales levels.
In addition, some products that are containerized may have one or more physical characteristics that are highly unique in nature. It is often the case that these physical characteristics are either not readily apparent from inspection of the container for the product or are entirely incapable of being viewed prior to purchase of the product. In these situations, it would be desirable for the display that is used for the product to demonstrate at least one such physical characteristic.
In view of the foregoing, there has remained a need for improvement in the manner of displaying retail products, particularly inexpensive consumable products, in an attractive, highly visible and informative fashion that captures the attention of the consumer at the point of purchase.
Accordingly, the present disclosure is of a combination product container and display container. The product container comprises a base portion and a lid portion and, similarly, the display container comprises a base portion and a lid portion with the base portion of the display container being of a size to hold a plurality of the product containers therein. In addition, the display container visibly displays at least one physical characteristic of the product container to a consumer.
In one embodiment, the physical characteristic of the product container visibly displayed to a consumer by the display container is not visibly apparent from the product container. It may be, by way of example, that the physical characteristic is an internal characteristic of the product container. In particular, the internal characteristic of the product container visibly displayed to a consumer by the display container may be an inner surface that is reflective to function as a mirror.
Specifically, the reflective inner surface may be on the lid portion of the display container to visibly display that the lid portion of the product container also includes a reflective inner surface. A removable transparent protective film may be disposed on the reflective inner surface of the lid portion of the display container and have product information printed thereon. Still further, a removable transparent protective film may be disposed on the reflective inner surface of the lid portion of the product container to protect the reflective inner surface prior to purchase.
As for other features, the product container may include a hinge joining the lid portion of the product container to the base portion of the product container. It may then be advantageous for the lid portion of the display container to also be joined to the base portion of the display container by a hinge. In this regard, the hinge may comprise the physical characteristic of the product container which is visibly displayed to a consumer by the display container.
In another respect, the base portion of the product container may include a circular flat bottom wall and a cylindrical side wall to define a product receptacle and the lid portion of the product container may include a circular flat top wall and a cylindrical side wall to receive the side wall of the base portion of the product container. It is also the case that the cylindrical side wall of the lid portion of the product container may include a circumferential lip which is provided for facilitating the opening the lid portion of the product container relative to the base portion of the product container for access to a product contained in the product receptacle defined by the base portion of the product container. Still additionally, the cylindrical side wall of the lid portion of the product container may be joined to the circular flat top wall by an upstanding circumferential shoulder with the circular flat top wall being recessed relative to the upstanding circumferential shoulder to define a product label region for applying a product label to the product container.
Still further, if desired, a removable circumferential seal may be disposed about the periphery of the product container to secure the lid portion to the base portion in sealed relationship prior to purchase of the product by a consumer.
Other objects, advantages and features of the present disclosure will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.